The essentials
Do not pull too hard with the towing vehicle
and t ak
e care to avoid jerking the tow rope.
When towing on an unpaved road, there is al-
ways a risk of overloading and damaging the
anchorage points.
Switch on the ignition so that the turn sig-
nals, windscreen wipers and windscreen
washer can work. Ensure that the steering
wheel is unlocked and moves freely.
Place the gear lever in neutral on vehicles
with a manual gearbox. With an automatic
gearbox, place the lever in N.
To brake, press the brake pedal firmly. The
brake servo does not work when the engine
is switched off.
The power steering only works when the igni-
tion is switched on and the vehicle is moving,
provided that the battery is sufficiently charg-
ed. Otherwise, it will need more force.
Ensure that the tow rope remains taut at all
times.
››› in Introduction on page 86
››› page 86 Tow-starting
If the engine will not start, first try starting it
u
s
ing the battery of another vehicle
››› page 58. You should only attempt to tow-
start a vehicle if charging the battery does
not work. This is done by leveraging wheel
movement.
When tow-starting a vehicle with a petrol en-
gine, do not tow it more than a short dis-
tance, otherwise unburned fuel can enter the
catalytic converter.
● Engage 2nd or 3rd gear before moving off.
● Press the clutch and hold the pedal down.
● Switch the ignition on.
● Once both vehicles are moving, release the
c lut
ch.
● As soon as the engine has started, press
the clut
ch and move the gear lever to neutral.
How to jump start Jump le
ads The jump lead must have a sufficient wire
c
r
oss section.
If the engine fails to start because of a dis-
charged battery, the battery can be connec-
ted to the battery of another vehicle to start
the engine. Jump leads must comply with standard
DIN
72553 (see cab
le manufacturer's instruc-
tions). The wire cross section must be at least
25 mm 2
for petrol engines and at least
35 mm 2
for diesel engines. Note
● The v
ehicles must not touch each other,
otherwise electricity could flow as soon as
the positive terminals are connected.
● The discharged battery must be properly
connect
ed to the on-board network.58
